Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/346

* MENDICANCY. 312 MENDOZA. (1863), Russia ( 1 804), Sweden (1885). In Mo- hanuiiednn lands, where almsgiving is still a religious oliligation, lieggars al)ound. England in 1530 decreed that an able-bodied beggar should te wliipped for tlie first ofl'ense, have his ears cropped for the seeond, and be e.xeeuted as a felon and eoninion enemy for the third. In 1547 he was to be branded and become the slave of any one who would care for him for two years. In the act of 15;j(i "conunon and open doles' were prohibited, and the parish au- tliorities instructed to care for the worthy poor. The civic authorities were still trying various schemes. Oxford had four 'be<iclls of the beggars' who "took a ward ever^' Friday to gather the devotion of the houses," and on other days, "daily the streets to walk, to look what other beggars or vagabonds do come into the city and then to give notice to the constables." In Southampton in 1540 a 'master of Ix-gg.irs' with a silver gilt badge and small annual fee is mentioned. York (loIiS) decided that "from henceforth no Head- beggars shall be chosen," and by the end of the reign of Elizabeth the other towns had followed her example. In 1502 compulsory lat>or was made possil)le. In ICOl came the famous poor law of Elizabeth (4.3 Eliz., c. 2) which em- phasized the necessity for work: 1G70 marked the establisliment of the first workhouse at Bris- tol, and with these changes the modern system is inaugurati-d. Yet begging was not abolished. and in Scotland (see The Antiijiiarii. Walter Scott) in the early part of the nineteenth century the 'Hedesmen' or 'lUue (iown-;' were licensed. The present English law is that of 1S24. Habit- ual begging is a criminal oircnse. punishable in a summary manner, that is, without trial by jury. (See V.(iRAN'T. ) For the first ofTense one may be committed as 'idle and disorderly' to one month at hard labor; for the second oilcnse as a 'rogue and vagabond' for three months; for a third as an 'incorrigible vagabond' for one year. One who s(dicits charitable contributions by lying letters, false writings, or any other cheat, is liable to punishment for obtaining money under false pretenses (q.v.). If begging be ac- companied by threats of violence, it may subject the olTender to punishment for robbery (q.v.). In the United States mendicancy has been looked upon as bad, and is generally forbidden. The laws have been very leniently enforce<l. and in many places are almost de;ul letters. Only one State. .Massa<liusetts, has provided a farm colony to which beggars may be sent and made to work. In some cities energetic steps are being taken to make l)egging unprofitable, and special attention is being paid to parents who send young ehililren out to beg. or who cover their begging by pretense of selling odds and ends. The ex|M'rienee of all countries has shown that mendicancy will llirive wherever indis- criminate al?n-giving prevails. In modern society it may practically be stopped if steps are taken to care [jpiperly for the worthy i>oor and to compel others to work or else go hingrv. For an aeeoimt of the general development of the care of the poor, see Pattperism. See, also, CiiAUiTY Ohoamzation SOCIETY; 'Tramps; So- cial Dkiitor f 'i.a.s.ses. Consult : liibtonTurner, fli.tlorii of Vaqrants and Vnqrnnni (London, 1887) ; I.uther, Hook of Rcfffiam. Eng. trans. (I^ondon, 1800) ; Hender- son. Drprndrnts, Defectives, I)clin<iurnls (Boston, 1001). Tliis work contains an excellent theoreti- cal discussion of the subject, .sldey, EiiijHsh Economic History (New Y"ork, lSil3), contains a chapter on the development of jjoor relief. Kat- zinger, Hcxrliiclitc der kirctilicticn Arincnitllege (2 ed,, Freiburg ira B., 1884). discusses me- diivval pour relief from a Catholic standpoint; Keitzenstein. Hie Armcngesetzgcbuiui t'raitlcreichs (Leipzig, 1881), gives an historical account of its development; Biihmert, Suchsische liettler- und Vagubiindcnstutistik ran i.SiS'O-.ST (Dresden, 1888), gives an account of the investigations into the (piestion of mendicancy; Lannners. Die Hctlel- plage (Berlin. 1870) ; Proceeding!,' of the Xutional ('oiifcrcncc of ('harilicx and Correction (Boston), yearly reports of Charity Organization Societies and similar organizations; Hugo, Xotrc Dame de Paris, and Keadc, The Cloister and the Hearth, contain accounts of the organizations of beggars; Ehrle, licitriigc zur tlcschichte der Armenpflege (Freilnirg. 1881), discusses the media'val theory of almsgiving. MENBOCINO, men'diVse'n.'i, Cape, See Capb Mkxdocino. MENDOZA, nien-do'sa. A province of Ar- gentina, situated in the western part of the Kepublic. and bounded on the north by the Province of San .hum. on the east by San Luis, on the south and southeast by the territories of El Pampa and Xeguen. and on the w'est by Chile (Map: .-rgentina, D 10). Its area is estimated at 55,000 scpiare miles. With the exception of the portion adjoining the Andes, the surface of the province is practically occupied by an extensive plain mostly sandy and only indiirercntly fertile. The western portion is oc- cupied by the slope of the Andes Range, which rises on the boundary to a height of over 22,000 feet in Moinit Aconcagua. Several lofty i)asse3 lead from the jirovince into Chile. The inhabit- ants of the province are engaged chiefly in agri- culture and stock-raising, and cattle, hides, and wool are among the chief exports. Wheat, corn, and lucerne are the chief agricultural juoducta, but vine-culture and the production of wine have of lale become an importiinl industry. Owing to the dry climate and the scarcity of water, artifi- cial irrigiition is usually necess;iry. The mineral deposits of Mendoza are of importance, but min- ing is still in a backward state. Population, in 18!)5, lUi.l.'JO. The capital is .Mendoza. MENDOZA. The capital of the Province of .Mendoza. .Vrgentina, situated at the east- ern ba.se of the .Andes, 1(>0 miles east of Val- paraiso, on the railroad between that city and Buenos .yres (Map: .Argentina, D 10). The town has a national college, an agricultural in- stitute, normal schools for both sexes, and a street railway. Population. 20,000. Mendoza was founilcd in 1500. It was the scene of a terrible c(irth(|uake in 1801. which destroyed the city :ind killed 10.000 people. MENDOZA, men-do'th;i, Ax.A DE, Princess of Elioli. Sic EliOI.I. MENDOZA, Antonio de. Count of Tendilla (c.l (S.'i 1552 I . . Spanish administrator, born in Oranada. He was a member of an illustrious family and became a great favorite with the Emperor Charles V. Constant quarrels in Xcw Spain between the Governor, the nobility, and the .udiencia (the commission representing the Emperor) led to the determination to appoint in